Internist/Pediatrician

If you
suspect you are experiencing migraine headaches, you should make an appointment
with your primary healthcare provider—an internist or family practice
physician, or, for children, a pediatrician.

Your primary
care provider will determine if further tests to rule out other conditions are
necessary. If your doctor determines you do have migraine, he or she will most
likely prescribe medication to relieve pain or stop headaches and will monitor
its effectiveness as well as how often you are using it.

Neurologist

If your
migraine symptoms are frequent or severe, your primary care physician may refer
you to a neurologist, a specialist who deals with the brain and nervous system.
Neurologists often focus on specific conditions, such as sleep disorders or
cancer, so make sure your neurologist has training in headache or migraine
treatment. A neurologist can perform tests to rule out more serious conditions,
prescribe treatments to reduce the frequency of headaches, and help find
alternatives if your medications do not work or cause problematic side effects.

Headache Clinic

Headache
clinics bring together medical professionals in multiple fields—internists,
neurologists, psychiatrists, and physical and occupational therapists—who all
specialize in treating migraine and other types of headache. If your headaches
are especially severe or if you have other medical conditions that make your
treatment more complicated, your primary care physician may refer you to a
headache clinic for expert care.